Method of making slide fasteners



Nov. 8, 1938. A. KONOFF I 2,135,717

METHOD OF MAKING SLIDE FASTENERS Filed July 14, 1934 INVENTOR Alexander Kong ATTORNEY5 Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES METHOD OF 2,135,717 H MAKINo suns FASTENERS Alexander Konoff, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Conmar Products Corporation, Bayonne, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey 1 Application July 14, 1934, Serial No. 735,131v

.7 Claims.

This invention relates to method-of -maklng slide fasteners.

In accordance with conventional practice, slide fastener elements are applied to and secured up- 5 on beaded tapes, thereby forming what are commonly known as the stringers of the slide fastener. These stringers are subsequentlysewed to the edges of the article on which the fastener is to be used. This practice is subject to import ant disadvantages, as in the case where the fastener is employed on leather articles, for

example, wallets, brief-cases, and. heavier luggage, because the fabric tape :is not nearly as st ong as the leather wall of the article and be- 15 comes the weakest link or element lnthe article.

The tape is subjected to considerable wear, and

frequently wears out before the article has lived its useful life. In some cases'the use of a tape is disadvantageous for other reasons, say when 20 a light-weight fastener is applied to a thin light fabric. as in a ladys garment, for the tape may be objectionable in appearance, texture or color.

In every case a certain amount of skilled labor is rec-mired to properly attach the stringers to the article.

The object of my invention is to generally overcome the foregoing difiiculties and to elimihat-8 the use of a tape between the article wall and the fastener element, and to instead proso vide a suitable method for securing the fastener elements in properly spaced and properly aligned relation directly to the edge 'of the article wall. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other cbjets which will hereinafter appear, my 3.3 invention consists in the products and method steps and their relation one to another, as hereinafter are more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. The specification is accompanied by a 40 drawing, in which: 1

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a strip of fastener elements preparatory for subsequent mounting;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with some of the elements removed; v

3 is a section taken in the plane of the lin 3-3 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 4. is a section through clamping apparatus, and illustrates the mode of mounting the ele-- ments on the wall of an article; 50 Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the completion of the clamping operation; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an article embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the fastener elements E are of conventional type and comprise a head l2 and jaws l4 and IE formed integrally therewith. The head isprovided with appropriate mating or interlocking means exemplified in the present case by a recess l8 at oneside of the head and 5 aprojection 28 at the opposite side of the head. The elements E are temporarily mounted on a strip S-of preferably 'destructible material, such as cardboard or like material. The elements are mounted on the strip in proper alignment and 10 in uniformly spaced'relation, with a spacing equal to that employed in the finished fastener. The strip is arranged transversely of the fastener elements and extends between the open jaws of the elements, as is best shown in Fig. 3. In order to maintain the elements accurately in the desired relation, I prefer to preliminarily notch the strip S with a series of notches 22 disposed at the opposite edges of the'strip. These notches receive the jaws of the elements tightly and aid 0 greatly in holding'the elements in desired relation without necessitating undue thickness of the cardboard strip. The elements are most simply applied to the strip by pressing the same toward the strip jaws first, the jaws then entering the 25 notches of the cardboard. This operation may be performed by the machine which forms the elements. The notches 22 may all be formed in advance or, more preferably, may be cut step by step by the same press or punch that feeds the 0 elements into the strip.

It will be understood, of course, that the temporary strips of elements are formed at the fastener factory and are then shipped to the manufacturer of the article for application thereto. The strips may be formed of desired length, just as is now the case with tape stringers, or they maybe shipped in continuous length and severed to desired length by the article manufacturer. Most'preferably, the elements are applied to a 40 continuous strip but in spaced groups, thus facilitating separation of the groups. v

The manufacturer is provided with clamping mechanismsuch as is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing. This clamping mechanism comprises an elongated stationary Jaw 30 mounted on a base 32, and a movable jaw 34 pivoted on the stationary jaw by a shaft 36. It will be understood that Figs. 4 and 5 are sections taken across the jaws which are greatly elongated in a direction transverse to the drawing, being made of suflicient length to receive a complete strip of elements of maximum normally used length.

The movable jaw 34 is actuated by one or morearms 38 (preferably two,.one near each end of the jaw), arm 38 resting upon and being actuated by a cam 40. One or more cams 40, corresponding to the number of arms 38, are mounted on a cam shaft, 42 which is actuated by a lever 44. It will be manifest that oscillation of lever 44 causes cam 40'to elevate arm 38 and to thereby close jaws 30 and 34. v g

Cam 40 comprises three sections 46, 48, and 50 of progressively increasing radius. With lever 44 in its rearward position and arm 38 resting against the first portion 46 of the cam, the jaws are fully open and readily receive therebetween a strip of fastener elements. By then moving lever 44 to the position shown in Fig. 4, the jaws:

are partially though only slightly closed by the cam portion 48, the movement being sufficient to squeeze the jaws l4 and I5 of the elements E and to lock the same securely in place. The destructible cardboard strip S is then pulled from the fastener elements, the, latter being held tightly in original alignment by the partially closed clamping jaws. The wall 52 of the article is then placed between the open jaws I4 and I6 of the row of elements, as is shown in Fig. 4, whereupon lever 44 is pulled forwardly to the position shown in Fig. '5, at which time the portion 50 of the cam causes the clamping jaws to move together and to clamp the elements securely upon the article. .Lever 44 is then moved backwardly and the article wall 52 removed. A guide table 54 may be providedon which to-rest the material 52, or, if desired, the lower jaw 30 may be projected forwardly or widened to act as a table. I

It will be noted that jaws 30 and 34 are preferably recessed at 56 .to accurately receive the closed elements, as is shown in Fig. 5, the recesses 56 being defined at the forward edge by shoulders 58, which shoulders help align and accurately locate the elements during the clamping operation, as is best illustrated in Fig. 4. l

The edge of theparticle wall 52 is preferably beaded to form a bead-6t This may be done in any desired manner, and in the'pres' ent case the edge is simply curled and stitched. The material of the wall depends upon the natureof the article, and in the present case. may be assumed to be leather. 7

It is desirable to hold the bead tightly in the jaws of the elements when closing the same. For this purpose the apparatus preferably includes an elongated pusher bar 10 pivoted at 12 on stationary bearing pedestals 14. The lower part of the pusher bar 10 is provided with a large number of pusher fingers l6, spaced at the spacing of the fastener elements E,-and dimensioned to fit therebetween. The pusher bar is urged inwardly by pullingoperating lever or handle 18 forwardly to the position shown. Upon actuation of lever 44 the elements are closed as shown in Fig. 5, the upper jaws of the elements coming down between the fingers 16 of the pusher bar.

In Fig. 6 I show one of a large number of typical articles to which my .invention may be applied. The luggage bag 62 is made of leather or other suitable material, and is closed by a slide fastener 64 operated by a slide 66. The fastener elements are secured directly to the ma-.- terial of bag 62, preferably before assembling the parts of the bag, and no fabric tape is required or used. The bag is thereby improved in durability-and appearance.

It is believed that the temporary. stringer or strip of elements of my invention, as well as the method of forming the same and of applying the elements directly to the edge of an article wall without using an intermediate tape, and also the many advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in preferred form, many changes and modifications may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention. delined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In the manufacture of a temporary stringer for a slide fastener, the method which includes temporarily mounting a series of open-jawed elements in properly uniformly spaced and aligned relation on a strip of cardboard or like material with the open jaws of the elements astride the strip with a snug fit capable of holding said elements in place on the strip during normal handling of the strip preparatory to permanently mounting the elements on some other carrier, said elements'having interlockable head portions each including a projection and a recess, said head portions being disposed remote from the strip with the strip extending transversely of the elements between the jaws, the jaws of eaeh element bearing against opposite edges of the strip. 2.In,the manufacture of a temporary stringer for a slide -fastener, the method which includes notching the edges of a destructible strip of cardboard or like material at the proper uniform spacing'for the fastener elements to interlock properly whenin use, and mounting a series of open-jawed elements in aligned relation on said cardboard strip with the open jaws of the elements received in the notches of the strip, said elements having interlockable head portions each including a projection and a recess, said head portions being disposed remote from the strip with the strip extending transversely of the elements. between the jaws. V 3. In the manufacture of an article provid with a slide-fastener, the method which includes mounting a series of open-jawed elements in properly uniformly spaced and aligned relation on a destructible strip of material, said elements having head portions with projections and recesses adapted to interlock, simultaneously clamping the exteriors of the elements and slightly compressing the jaws, placing the edge of an article wall between the jaws and thereupon further clamping the jaws in order to close the same directly upon the edge of the article wall without the use of any conventional tape intermediate the article wall and the fastener elements.

4. In the'manufacture of an article provided with a slide fastener, the method which includes mounting a series of the elements in properly uniformly spaced and aligned relation on a strip of cardboard or like material with the jaws of the elements astride the strip, said elements having head portions with projections and recesses adapted to interlock, the strip extending transverselyof the elements between the jaws, clamping the exteriors of the elements and slightly compressing the jaws, removing the cardboard fastener elements in use, mounting a series of the elements in properly aligned relation on said cardboard strip without closing the jaws of the elements, said elements having head portions with projections and recesses adapted to interlock, placing the edge of an article wall between the jaws and thereupon clamping the jaws in order to close the same directly upon the edge of the article wall without the use of any conventional tape intermediate the article wall and the fastener elements.

6. In the manufacture of an article provided with a slide fastener, the method which includes matching the edges of a destructible strip of cardboard or like material at the proper uniform spacing for the fastener elements in use, mounting a series of the elements in properly aligned relation on said cardboard strip with the open jaws of the elements received in the notches of the strip, said elements having head portions with projections and recesses adapted to interlock, the strip extending transversely of the elements between the jaws, simultaneously clamping the exteriors of the elements and slightly compressing the jaws, removing the cardboard strip from between the jaws, placing the edge of an article wall between the jaws and thereupon further clamping the jaws in order to close the same directly upon the edge of the article wall without the use ofany conventional tape intermediate the a article wall and the fastener elements.

and slightly compressing the jaws thereof inorder to hold the elements in proper relation,

removing the mounting strip, then placing the edge of a fiexible piece of material between the jaws, and thereupon further clamping the jaws in order to simultaneously close thesame upon the aforesaid edge.

ALEXANDER KONOFF. 

